


Azure Nightmares

by BlueLya (Sakilya)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 10:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakilya/pseuds/BlueLya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a <a href="http://youngjusticeheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/33580563265/341-bart-always-saw-blue-beetle-in-his-worst">YJ Headcanon from tumblr:</a><br/><i>“Bart always saw Blue Beetle in his worst nightmares, now after befriending him, his nightmares are no longer the Blue Beetle killing him, but watching his best friend turn into something he fears most.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Azure Nightmares

The dreams had always been the same. He was either trapped or still running, always fighting to get away from the monster hunting him.

He never did.

No matter where he hid or how fast he ran the Blue Beetle would always find him in the end. (By now Bart knew the facts. The Reach could track them wherever they went, the damn collars signalling a massive neon-sign into the minds of their oppressors.)

The endings of the dreams always varied, after he had got caught. Sometimes he was only killed, a moment of pain and then blessed silence. Other times it would go on and on so, so slow and Bart cursed whoever that had said that it was impossible to feel pain in dreams because that bastard was lying and lying hard.

The thing was.

When he finally awoke from his sleep, feverish, the feeling of dried tears on his cheeks and a scream stuck in his throat the nightmare was still there. The collar around his neck was still choking him, shining with a red light, threatening to zap him at the very _thought_ of rebellion. (The thing also took away his speed, he couldn’t run, couldn’t run).

At the end of it, all that was nothing against seeing the Blue Beetle up front; having his eyes directed towards him personally and Bart knew that if he lived to see the evening he was up for a night full of terrors.

… … …

Meeting the past’s Blue Beetle, he didn’t know what he had expected. Behind the quick talking and enthusiasm and optimism he felt the shard of paranoia, the phantom ache of the choker. He was still scared. Even now, in the much more unrestricted past, he didn’t have anyone he could talk to about it.

It took some major training to not flinch as Jaime moved; with Blue Beetle in full armour it was almost impossible. But he did it eventually. Eventually he stopped freezing up that micro-second that no one noticed anyway

And eventually. It got better.

Jaime laughed and talked with him, he became sad and hurt and embarrassed. He held grudges and had always a helping hand. The more Bart stayed around him the more Jaime became awfully… human. He made him smile, genuinely, for the first time in years.

Bart didn’t have to fear to be put in isolation for bothering a Reach-soldier. He didn’t have to be scared. When he finally noticed the flip in those feelings it came as a realization. A mission and an explosion and Bart flying through the air from the shockwave and Blue Beetle catching him with their faces full of ash and the edges of Impulse’s hair black and they just burst out laughing. Because they looked ridiculous, and because they were both safe.

Jaime made him feel safe again. Blue Beetle could save him. If now only Bart could save him.

Then came The Light and gave them to The Reach. Some of that fear awoke from its dormant state. He had fought so hard to help Jaime (the motivation was no longer to ‘stop the Blue Beetle’, just to keep his friend safe). Now he became afraid that when the pain of the testing ended it would already be too late. That the next time he saw Jaime he would only see the loyal Infiltrator of the Reach.

The split second of relief when he saw that Jaime was still _Jaime_ was immediately exchanged into rage as they hurt him. The ingrown fear of The Reach was gone like dust. It broke his heart watching Jaime fall as he confessed his reasons and his mission. “I’d never…”Jaime tried to convince himself and Bart felt his chest strain.

“Except you do.” As he spoke those words, he realized that they became way to true. A new fear settled like a cold rock in his stomach as they fled.

… … …

He opened his eyes to a barren landscape. Ash like snow was drifting down around him and the choker surrounding his neck cutting into skin mercilessly. The dreams always started the same way and he looked around hastily before starting to move.

Then a voice stopped him.

“Bart? Bart!” And that was Jaime’s voice, and Jaime coming towards him. The tension in his shoulders vanished as he saw the civilian clothes of his friend and he forced his racing mind and heart to calm. Safe, his mind said. Run, his body screamed.

“Hermano, you got me worried, disappearing like that,” Jaime’s arms were around him in a hug before they separated. One hand stayed on his arm, comforting. The collar tightened, and it didn’t go unnoticed. “What’s wrong?” Jaime asked, always caring, always kind and Bart convinced himself that it was the black snow around them that made his eyes sting and creating the knot in his throat.

“How did you find me?” Bart asked, without being able to stop because even his dream-self knew that Jaime, the past’s Jaime, wasn’t supposed to be in the future. And that was when everything went wrong. Because in the future there is only Blue Beetle. And he should have known that.

Something sinister crept over Jaime’s previous smile. “Isn’t that obvious?” Bart moved to get away but the black claws were already tightening around, sinking into, his arm, holding him still and he couldn’t run, couldn’t run. “Remember I can always track you, slave, no matter where or _when_ you go.”

Nausea hit him hard as Jaime’s skin started to peel away, revealing the Infiltrator underneath. Bart reached out with his free arm and desperately tried to hold his friend together, but the skin melted away in his hands, Blue Beetle’s eyes glowing white and the smile terrifyingly amused.  

The grip on his arm loosened for a moment, but before Bart could move it wrapped around his neck, lifted him off ground. And somewhere as he struggled for air he was glad that this seemed to be a quick dream. At least before he realized he wasn’t the only one crying.

Black tears were running down the infiltrator’s face. “I would never… I don’t want this.” Words he didn’t understand (Spanish, he reminded himself, Jaime was bilingual) fell from Blue Beetle’s unmoving mouth, with Jaime’s voice. “It hurts.”

The noise of a crack from his neck, and then blessed silence.

… … …

Bart shot up from his bed, tears still running down his face and body shaking. The house was quiet and he sincerely hoped no one had heard him scream.

And Impulse ran. He ran until he found water and coast and then turned around and ran until he met with the ocean once again on the other side of the continent. He ran until his legs felt like jelly and his stomach was heaving with nothing to spew out. And when he stopped he found himself in the ruins of the Mount Justice.

Sobs wracked his body as he crouched down, the remains of the nightmare flowing through him.

From then on, the dreams were always the same. He was either trapped or still running, always fighting. But this time it was to reach Jaime before the transformation turned him into the monster who killed Bart every night. Hoping to stop it.

He never did.


End file.
